So I'm out on my back porch when a Carolina Wren flushes out of my wife's hanging flower basket. I check things out, and of course, there's a nice little nest with 5 eggs. Problem is, I just dumped a quart of liquid miracle grow on top of the basket yesterday! The nest looks to be fairly covered and Mom's still on it, so what do you think the chances are of (a) me having killed the eggs or (b) the nestlings emerging and being extraordinarily large and fertile? Arrgghh - I've been out on that porch for hours and hours the last few weeks and I never saw them building. We're not even going to discuss that.

Jekyll and Politics

The Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island State Park

Georgia State Senate Race: The Jekyll Factor

Sen. Jeff Chapman has just announced that he will seek re-election as the State Senator for District Three, which includes Jekyll Island. Over the past two years, Sen. Chapman has worked to ensure that Jekyll Island State Park continues to be accessible and affordable for average income citizens. He is the author of the April 2007 legislation that protected Jekyll’s south end from further development, and he led the effort in the Senate this year to limit the commercialization of Jekyll’s main public beach. Neither of these legislative initiatives endeared him with the leadership of his own party, which is keen on the Jekyll oceanfront development project proposed by Linger Longer Communities.

Sen. Chapman is being opposed in a Republican primary election by Terry Carter, a very well-funded candidate who is an outspoken supporter of the Linger Longer town center project.

While the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island does not fund or officially endorse candidates for political office, we would like to make folks aware of the Jekyll position of the two men vying to represent District Three in the Georgia Senate. We offer this information as a public service to those who wish to be kept informed about issues related to the welfare of Jekyll Island State Park.

If you would like to make a contribution to Sen. Chapman’s campaign fund, visit www.jeffchapman.us. To contribute to Mr. Carter’s campaign, visit www.voteterrycarter.com. Donations by out-of-state and out-of-country residents are permissible. By law, the maximum donation is $2,300 per individual. Contributions in any amount would be appreciated by either candidate. Primary election day is July 15, 2008.

If you choose to contribute to Sen. Chapman’s campaign fund, please take advantage of the “Issue Comment Form” at the bottom of the Senator’s homepage to state your views on the Jekyll development issue. If you opt to contribute to Mr. Carter’s campaign, please use the “Contact Terry” link to do the same.

Michael, I think those little C. Wren nests are sorta waterproof. I always continue to water the plants when there's a nest altho' sparingly. Guess you'll just have to watch and wait on this one and hope for the best.

Hey Guys,

I'm getting slacker and slacker, so please accept my apologies for not posting the checklist from Cochran Shoals sooner. Without further ado, here it is:

Location: Cochran Shoals
Observation date: 5/10/08
Notes: ORAS Fieldtrip with 9 observers including entire Beakgroup. 68-79F, Fair to partly cloudy, calm.
Number of species: 55

Canada Goose 30
Wood Duck 5 Off Boardwalk
Mallard 11 Ducklings off the Boardwalk. All but one male in River.
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 20
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Mourning Dove 2
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Red-headed Woodpecker 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 7
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Eastern Phoebe 10
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
White-eyed Vireo 4
Yellow-throated Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 9
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 10
Barn Swallow 8
Carolina Chickadee 16
Tufted Titmouse 25
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown-headed Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 11
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 25
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 3
Cedar Waxwing 40
Northern Parula 1
Pine Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 2
American Redstart 1
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Kentucky Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Hooded Warbler 1
Canada Warbler 1
Summer Tanager 4
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 8
Northern Cardinal 35
Indigo Bunting 20
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
American Goldfinch 18

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Ed.

I briefly birded the blue trail and riparian section of the white trail at the botanical garden this morning from ~7:30-9 for the first time in 5 whole days. Unfortunately, migration seems to be pretty much over, as the only nonbreeders I had were a couple Redstarts, Blackpoll Warblers, and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and there were only 11 warbler species total. Some resident highlights were a family of 4 Pileateds in the strip of pines betwixt the blue trail and greenhouse service road, a Barred Owl twice going all the way in while bathing in the river to the point it had significant trouble flying afterwards (a unseen fledgling hissed at it once), and the heron rookery further upstream across the river on the white trail, which isn't really visible from the trail, but parents were coming and going as the young were making lots of noise. My high count for Yellow-billed Cuckoos is up to 3 out there now after having 2 calling on the white trail and one flying into the garden at the entrance gate right as I was leaving. Highlghts:

Great Blue Heron 8+
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3
Barred Owl 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4
Pileated Woodpecker 4
Eastern Kingbird 1 (entrance gate)
Barn Swallow 4 (entrance road)
Brown-headed Nuthatch 4
Northern Parula 4
Pine Warbler 4
Blackpoll Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 3
Prothonotary Warbler 2
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Kentucky Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 3
Hooded Warbler 4
Yellow-breasted Chat 2 (1 far down white trail, 1 usual @ powerline)
Summer Tanager 5
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 5
Eastern Meadowlark 2 (south Milledge)

I ran into Bill and Karla O'Grady at the State Botanical Garden this morning before the IBA dedication, and it was a great, mosquito-free day to get out and see some great stuff. I bird pretty frequently if you didn't notice from the posts, and yet I still often have brand new birding experiences at the botanical garden, including 2 today (after seeing an owl bathing for the first time just yesterday). New experience #1 today was seeing my first-ever fresh fledgling Black-and-White Warbler (on the blue trail above the greenhouses). We were pretty confident in the ID despite the tiny, big-footed little dude lacking a tail, but I was very happy that daddy came to give him a big, green caterpillar just to be positive. I put marginal photos of them (and a couple other things) on my website at http://www.pbase.com/joelmcneal/newest . New experience #2 for me was hearing a singing GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH. I've seen them before in OH and PA during migration, and I've heard their nocturnal flight notes quite a few times, but the actual SONG of a Gray-cheek was new to me. He was across the orange trail from the beaverpond wetland near the river. I had gotten Veeries in the same area a few times this spring (power of suggestion) and immediately was duped into thinking I had yet another when I heard the downward phrase at the end of his song, but luckily he kept on singing to convince me otherwise (and to let me confirm he wasn't a Bicknell's Thrush either...). We only got a brief look at him as he flew further up the hill (and sang once more for good measure). A BROAD-WINGED HAWK circled over the Heritage Garden while we were there giving his high pitched whistle call, and we also had 2 Swainson's Thrushes eating Serviceberries across the road from the shade/native plant garden (one of whom was persistently singing its wonderful upward spiraling song). Still a couple Blackpoll Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, a Canada Warbler, and 8 American Redstarts; I reckon migration isn't quite over with after all. Now if only a couple of stray Oporornis Warblers would stumble through our humble Athens IBA...

Some highlights:

Broad-winged Hawk 1 (heritage garden)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 (orange trail)
Barred Owl 1 (fledgling heard on white trail away from river)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5 (we were nearly impaled by one...)
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Acadian Flycatcher 8
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Yellow-throated Vireo 3
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 (1st ever ebird report from the botgarden)
Swainson's Thrush 2
Cedar Waxwing 20 (mostly white trail)
Northern Parula 4
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 (white trail)
Pine Warbler 5
Prairie Warbler 1 (sang briefly in powerline; odd bird...)
Blackpoll Warbler 2 (heard on drive in past shade garden)
Black-and-white Warbler 4 (vocal again now that babies are out)
American Redstart 8 (white and blue trails)
Louisiana Waterthrush 3 (all on orange trail)
Kentucky Warbler 6 (mostly white trail)
Common Yellowthroat 5
Hooded Warbler 8
Canada Warbler 1 (white trail)
12 total warbler spp.; oddly, no Chats today
Summer Tanager 8 (best views in main garden area)
Scarlet Tanager 2 (powerline and blue trail)
Indigo Bunting 8
Eastern Meadowlark 1 (south Milledge)

Joel McNeal, Karla and I were at the Bot Garden this morning (joined by Daniel Kraushaar early in the walk) and though mostly overcast (with a couple of very brief showers) the temperature was great and the birding very good. Warbler counts were light and absent was the Black-and-white Warbler family we encountered on the Blue Trail yesterday. We did have Canada Warblers on the Orange Trail. The GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH sang from the same place as yesterday, but we couldn't locate it. A Barred Owl posed on an open branch, directly over the Orange Trail (not far from the Purple Trail junction) and gave us a photo op, but in lousy light. Also, a possible SWAINSON'S WARBLER sang repeatedly from the woods on the opposite side of the river and warrants further investigation. We first heard the bird from the Orange Trail (not far from the "Orange Trail Bypass" and heard it several times as we proceeded towards the Purple Trail. Finally, Pileated Woodpeckers have fledged their young and, as a result, we had a total of seven, a new high count for the Bot Garden. Highlights were:

Cooper's Hawk 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Barred Owl 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 6
Hairy Woodpecker 5
Pileated Woodpecker 7
Acadian Flycatcher 6
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Eastern Bluebird 3
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1
Cedar Waxwing 15
Northern Parula 4
Pine Warbler 6
American Redstart 5
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Kentucky Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 3
Hooded Warbler 7
Canada Warbler 3
Yellow-breasted Chat 2 (9 warbler spp.)
Summer Tanager 4
Scarlet Tanager 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Indigo Bunting 7
Eastern Meadowlark 1

Yesterday while re-grading the drive to the house, I was pleased to see several bluebirds, indigo buntings, and gray catbirds happily eating the exposed worms. I know it does not sound so great, but there was one patch of bluebirds that was as large as my truck.

Today, May 19, 2008, I located what I believe to be a singing Swainson's Thrush in Clarke County. I was previously unfamiliar with the song, though it was immediately obvious that it was a thrush. I am comfortable with Veery, Wood and Hermit Thrushes. The song characteristic that stuck out most to me was a little high 'wiggle' at the end of the phrase. I'd love it if someone could hit that area today or tomorrow morning and see if they could locate the bird if it's still around (or tell me if it's a hermit singing funny and I'm crazy).
I can't be there as I'm in the middle of field work.

The location was in the Red Fox Run neighborhood, a short ways SE of Barnett Shoals Elementary off Barnett Shoals Rd. If you search for "410 Red Fox Run, Athens, Ga" on Yahoo Maps, the pointer ends up almost exactly where I was. I don't know if that's the correct street address, but the power poles are numbered there and I was right at pole number 29. The bird was singing from the left hand side of the road, driving in. I birded from the roadside (there's a small pulloff, so be careful) and I was there at around 07:10 am.

If anyone does head out there, please do let me know if you find the bird. I'm 90% sure of the ID, but apologies if it's a wild goose chase ;)

Hi Michael,

Swainson's are by far the most common migratory Catharus (non-Wood) Thrushes still around (there are plenty still moving through Clarke Co.), and if the song spiraled up to the high wiggle you described at the end, that's what you had. There is still a possibility of a Veery around, and there's been a Gray-cheeked (a much rarer spring migrant) at the botanical garden all weekend, but their songs both end in a downslurred phrase, not a high phrase. Pretty much all Hermit Thrushes are long gone by the end of April (although I think Kennesaw has a couple of stray May reports), and singing males leave before females (mostly gone by mid-April).

Thanks, Joel!

There were some nice hooters in my neighborhood this evening around 10:15 PM (4 different Barred Owls doing various parts of their repertoires), so I went out on my porch to enjoy the show. The noise of traffic, airplanes, and barking dogs (and seeing a neighbor's cat wandering around; grrr...) ruined it a bit, but when the human-introduced noises died down enough I was surprised to hear 2 Chuck-will's-widows in the distance (technically they're chuck-will's-widowERS since they were probably male). One was coming from the east (Athens) side of Beaverdam Rd., and the other was coming from the west (Winterville) side. Although I'm sure other folks have had them in the interim, these are the first reported to ebird from Clarke Co. since 1985 (and the first ones I've ever heard in Clarke Co.). I had a peenting and booming nighthawk on campus as I was leaving around 8:30 PM, making it a 2 goatsucker evening.

Ed Maioriello asked me to post the following regarding Saturday's trip to Ivy Log Gap:

The Oconee Rivers Audubon Society will be having a field trip to Ivy Log Gap Road and Sosebee Cove Saturday May 24th. We will meet at 6:00AM at the Homewood Shopping Center located where Prince Avenue/Jefferson Road crosses the Athens Bypass. We will try to carpool using as few cars as possible.

As usual, you should bring your binoculars, any snacks or water desired, insect repellent and dress for the weather.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

I just went out on the deck to release a spider, and in the space of about 30 seconds or less, I heard a Chuck-will's-widow, a Whip-poor-will, a Barred Owl calling north of here, and an answering Barred Owl to the west. It just doesn't get much better than that in 30 sec. or less!

Apologies for not posting this sooner, but I had a clear look at a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker from 10-25 meters in Clarke County (Whitehall Forest) on 14 May 2008 at around 09:45. I remarked to myself at the time that it seemed pretty late in the game to be seeing one, but when I came across my datasheet this morning to enter it, I pulled out my copy of the GOS annotated checklist and saw how late my bird really was. The checklist has the late date for the state as 14 May (1988) and for the piedmont as 15 May, so this was quite a late season bird indeed. The bird was on the Dean's pond road loop. If you enter the loop from the rear exit onto the main road through Whitehall, you go up the hill, cross the RR tracks, bear right and go downhill towards the bottomlands. About 25-50 m before the road bottoms out and turns right was where I saw the bird. It might be worth checking out the area when the forest is open to the public to see if the little fellow is sticking around.